KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Life after Sport

26/05/2014

To get to the top level in sport, athletes have to give it their all. However, sporting careers can be short. So what happens when they come to an end?

“For me it was always important to have a second plan,” says Alex Baumann, Olympic silver medallist in bobsleigh in Sochi earlier this year. “As an athlete you rely on the health of your body and as we all know that can stop from one moment to the other.”

This is where the International Olympic Committee’s Athlete Career Programme (ACP) can help. It is delivered in cooperation with Adecco, and serves to support athletes while they prepare for and go through their career transition. It provides resources and training to develop life skills and maximise their education and employment opportunities.

Zurich based Baumann joined up with the programme in 2012 via the Swiss Olympic Athlete Career Programme just after finishing his Bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences.  Keen to continue training for Sochi, he also wanted to pursue his Master’s degree in food microbiology, but recognised the need to start gaining valuable work experience. He found the perfect match - an employer in the food industry willing to allow a flexible work programme that could fit around Baumann’s training and study obligations.

“It is a challenge to combine training and working of course, but you need an employer who is flexible in times. In the end it is all about planning,” he says
One Olympic silver medal and a Master’s degree later, Baumann is now fully employed by a renowned Swiss confectionery company that first gave him a chance. And the flexible work hours are still in place as Baumann continues his sports training.

“Bobsleigh is like life. There are a lot of lines and turns – it’s unpredictable. When you don’t have a second plan then it is scary to think about your life after sport career,” he says. “You need to do your preparation before.”

Learn more about the IOC Athlete Career Programme here

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Coca-Cola launches Nanjing 2014 logo with 100 days to go

22/05/2014

To mark 100 days to go until the start of the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games, Worldwide TOP Partner Coca-Cola last week launched its Nanjing 2014 logo.

David Brooks, the President of Coca-Cola’s Greater China and Korea Business Unit, and the Vice-Mayor of Nanjing and Deputy Secretary-General of the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee, Liu Yian, unveiled the official Coca-Cola Nanjing 2014 logo at an event with over 1,500 young participants.
Coca-Cola has always promoted the Games through logos with inspirational designs, throughout its long partnership with the Olympic Movement. This year’s logo for Nanjing is no exception, combining traditional Chinese “banners” with the Nanjing 2014 and Coca-Cola logos.
For more information, visit the Nanjing Official website.

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Lillehammer 2016 energised by visit of IOC President

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

©Geir Owe Fredheim

22/05/2014

After a two-day action-packed visit from IOC President Thomas Bach, the team working on the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) got down to business with the IOC Coordination Commission, headed by double Olympic ice hockey champion Angela Ruggiero, for two days of progress updates, guidance and idea-sharing with the Organising Committee (LYOGOC).

With just over 18 months to go until the 2nd Winter YOG, the team has made good progress since the previous IOC Coordination Commission visit last autumn. LYOGOC has grown from four permanent members of staff to 20. This figure will increase to a modest 90 people during the Games themselves, while drawing upon the strong local network of experts with a wealth of Olympic and international event experience who will act as mentors to the young future sporting leaders. In addition, 2,300 volunteers will be in operation during Games time.
The team has made great strides in raising awareness of the YOG. A first major marketing partner has been announced with Adecco, and young people are at the centre of all initiatives, with local college students and young designers creating the “Look of the Games”, emblem and pictograms. The latter were unveiled by the IOC President earlier this week with the help of athletes aiming to compete at Lillehammer 2016, topped off with a “selfie” photo that was shared on social media.
LYOGOC are also drawing upon the success of Norway’s Sochi 2014 athletes to help raise the profile of the Games, and are aiming to build upon this in the coming months.
Coordination Commission Chair Angela Ruggiero commented, “The progress made so far this year is impressive. This small team has really embraced the YOG spirit, not just in their approach and engagement with young people, but also in the way they have put young people at the heart of the organisation while drawing on the rich Olympic knowledge existing in the area.”
With the use of all existing venues from Lillehammer ’94, the future legacy focus is on the newly constructed Youth Olympic Village. Supported by the IOC’s EUR 13.5m investment, this project will be used as student housing before and after the Games, and plans are also underway for overseas students to study at this centre and benefit from its world-class sports facilities.
Finally, before leaving Lillehammer, the IOC President asked the organisers to give their valuable input to the Olympic Agenda 2020 project; to propose their ideas and innovations to keep the YOG unique and inspiring for young athletes.
LYOGOC CEO, Thomas Holmestad said, “We are truly grateful for the open dialogue we have with the IOC, and we really appreciate how much the IOC prioritises the YOG. We are encouraged by the trust they show us by constantly challenging us to come up with new ideas for how the YOG should be in the future.”

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For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000 e-mail: pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our web site at www.olympic.org.
VideosYouTube: www.youtube.com/iocmedia
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To request archive photos and footage, please contact our Images team at: images@olympic.org.
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Lillehammer 2016
The 2nd edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games will take place between 12 and 21 February 2016. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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IOC President Thomas Bach announces composition of Olympic Agenda 2020 Working Groups

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

©IOC

22/05/2014

In another key milestone in the process of building Olympic Agenda 2020, a strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement, IOC President Thomas Bach today released the membership of the 14 Working Groups which will help frame some of the key recommendations. Each group will be made up of key stakeholders of the Olympic Movement, including IOC members, athletes and representatives of the International Federations and National Olympic Committees. As part of the ongoing open and inclusive process, a number of experts have also been included from civil society, including representatives of leading international organisations, NGOs and business organisations. The Working Groups will look at proposals made by the Olympic Movement, the world of sport and even by individual members of the public.  Under discussion will be topics ranging from Ethics and the Youth Olympic Games to Good Governance and Autonomy and the planned Olympic TV Channel.

The Working Groups have been established to compile and discuss detailed contributions to the Olympic Agenda 2020, which was initiated last year by President Bach. Each of the Groups will meet in June around the occasion of Olympic Day, and their findings will be presented to the IOC Executive Board (EB) in July. The findings will then be discussed at the Olympic Summit later in the month, which will be attended by all the key stakeholders of the Olympic Movement.
The contributions will then be presented to the IOC commissions in September, before being discussed again at an EB meeting in October. The refined proposals for Olympic Agenda 2020 will then be presented for discussion by the whole membership and approval of the IOC Extraordinary Session in Monaco on 8 and 9 December 2014.
Discussions have centred on five themes: the uniqueness of the Olympic Games, athletes at the heart of the Olympic Movement, Olympism in action, the IOC’s role and IOC structure and organisation.
There has been strong interest across the Olympic Movement in the Olympic Agenda 2020. Discussions at the 126th IOC Session in Sochi, for example, included a total of 211 interventions made by the IOC members.
President Bach called for direct contributions on the debate of the future of the Olympic Movement to be made via email at OlympicAgenda2020@olympic.org. Contributions – from all continents – flooded in from National Olympic Committees, International Federations, sports organisations, NGOs and the general public by the final deadline of 15 April.
Complete list of the Working Groups.

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For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000 e-mail: pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our web site at www.olympic.org.
Videos
YouTube: www.youtube.com/iocmedia
Photos
For an extensive selection of photos available shortly after each event, please follow us on Flickr.
To request archive photos and footage, please contact our Images team at: images@olympic.org.
Social mediaFor up-to-the-minute information on the IOC and regular updates, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

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IOC President Thomas Bach meets the King of Norway ahead of visit to Lillehammer Youth Olympic Games organisers

19/05/2014

The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, today met His Majesty the King of Norway, Harald V, at the Royal Castle in Oslo, ahead of a visit to Lillehammer for meetings with the local organisers of the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games.

President Bach spoke at length with the King about the second edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG), which will take place in Lillehammer from 12 to 21 February 2016. They also discussed the performance of Norwegian athletes at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games, as well as Olympic Agenda 2020, a strategic plan for the future of the Olympic Movement which will be finalised by the end of this year.
“We discussed the Lillehammer Youth Olympic Games, which will use only pre-existing venues, and the legacy these Games will bring to the region and the country,” said President Bach. “We also discussed the Culture and

Education

Programme, which is an integral part of the Games and helps to develop the Olympic values in all the participants.” President Bach was accompanied by Norwegian IOC member Gerhard Heiberg.
Earlier in the day the IOC President visited 'Olympiatoppen', the NOC's high performance sport centre to meet with young athletes training for both the Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games. Joining the IOC President were IOC Members Gerhard Heiberg and Angela Ruggiero, who is also Chair of the Lillehammer 2016 IOC Coordination Commission.

On Tuesday, President Bach will meet representatives from the Lillehammer 2016 Organising Committee and go on a venue tour. Existing infrastructure from the Lillehammer 1994 Olympic Winter Games will be used for the Lillehammer 2016 YOG, obviating the need for the construction of any new venues and creating a further legacy from those Games. They will also visit the site of the Youth Olympic Village (YOV), which is being built with a subsidy of EUR 13.5 million from the IOC, who will also cover the travel and accommodation costs of all attending athletes and officials in the YOV during their stay which will be approximately EUR 4 million.

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For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000 e-mail: pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our web site at www.olympic.org.
Videos
YouTube: www.youtube.com/iocmedia
Photos
For an extensive selection of photos available shortly after each event, please follow us on Flickr.
To request archive photos and footage, please contact our Images team at: images@olympic.org.
Social media
For up-to-the-minute information on the IOC and regular updates, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

School kids fence their parents!

©NYOGOC

19/05/2014

Students at Shuangtang Primary School, in Nanjing, have been given a chance of getting their own back on their parents, through fencing!  Ahead of this summer’s Youth Olympic Games, the International Fencing Federation recently hosted a Fencing Promotion Programme in Nanjing, intended to encourage participation in the sport. The kids were able to try out all things linked to fencing, and parents needed to be on guard as they were able to fence each other throughout the day.

Chinese Athlete Role Model and Olympic gold medallist Lei Sheng helped the children discover more about fencing, including having a go at the sport themselves – and who better to learn from! Lei Sheng was also the subject of a “Dialogue with a Fencer” session, where he fenced and interacted with the kids, very much adhering to the Youth Olympic Games “Learn and Share” Programme.
Over 1,000 people took part in the day’s fencing fun, including students, parents and even teachers.
It was a day to get involved and try out a new sport, something that we will see lots more of this August in Nanjing!
Find out about the sports on the Olympic programme

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Kim Clijsters and Clive Woodward live on new IOC educational platform

16/05/2014

Rugby World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward and former world number one tennis player Kim Clijsters were featured as guests during the first-ever live event on the IOC’s recently launched free online education platform, the IOC Athlete MOOC (Massive Open Online Course).

During a one-hour live video interview, the British coach and Belgian sportswoman shared thoughts, experiences and expert advice on nutrition, performance, education and transitioning into a life after sport. Both guests also addressed participants’ questions submitted via chat.
First-hand insight into life in sport
Live events will become a monthly fixture on the IOC Athlete MOOC platform, enabling registered users to learn invaluable lessons from top athletes, coaches and leaders from the sports world on a range of subjects directly related to athletes and life in sport, on and off the field of play.
On this occasion, tennis player Kim Clijsters recounted what drove her to succeed in sport. From surrounding herself with people she trusted and respected to finding a balance between “being disciplined, professional and enjoying herself”, the mother of two outlined that, for her, “the most important word is passion”, which saw her “always wanting to improve” at her sport and “asking a lot of questions to those who were knowledgeable”.
Hugely interested in the field of nutrition, Clijsters explained how, throughout her career, she has invested a lot of time and energy in researching and understanding the role of nutrition in improving her performance in sport and recovery. Advising athletes to “take responsibility” for their own diet, both she and Sir Clive Woodward emphasised the importance for an athlete to know what to eat and when.
For those who missed it, log in or sign up to the MOOC on www.olympic.org/onlinecourse or via the Athletes’ Space on our website to watch Sir Clive Woodward chat with Kim Clijsters.  
Facilitating access to education for athletes Believing that education is an important foundation for success beyond the end of a sports career, the IOC has developed the IOC Athlete MOOC – Massive Open Online Course – to deliver free high-quality, engaging, educational content to a worldwide athlete audience. Content is both formal and informal, and includes courses providing athletes and their entourage with a general background on topics such as sport and education, sports science, coaching and management.
Register now and be the first to know who will be sharing their experiences and advice in the next Live Event!
If you encounter any problems when trying to access the MOOC platform or have any questions about the courses, please contact our support team at community.manager@onlinecourse.olympic.org.

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